


Talent

by WickedMuses



Series: A New World [1]
Category: Monster Hunter (Video Games)
Genre: Celebrations, Dancing, Gen, No Plot/Plotless, One Shot, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 20:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21022040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedMuses/pseuds/WickedMuses
Summary: It's a night of celebration in Astera. The Huntress has a good time in her new home.*The Huntress being the established character from previous work.





	Talent

When she was in her adolescence, the Huntress was often called an S3, or Single Skill Specialist; a polite way of saying she was a good hunter and not much else.

This wasn't true, though the young woman could understand why they'd come to that conclusion.

She'd had a few friends back in the Old World, but she'd never really been very close to anyone outside her Palico and so spent most of her time outside, alone or with said companion.

There'd never been many occasions to showcase skills other than those she'd learned growing up in the Guild, but that wasn't to say she didn't _have any_.

In fact, if asked about her other talents the Huntress could happily provide a few off the top of her head and it just so happened that tonight was a night of celebration in Astera; a perfect opportunity to prove those past naysayers wrong.

The fact that none of said naysayers were present (none having joined the commission) was not important.

The first of the talents to reveal itself over the course of the night was her surprisingly strong arm wrestling game.

She lacked the bulky arm muscles that most men in their line of work sported, yet managed to maintain a 10 person winning streak before being bested by the Meowscular Chef of all people. Two rematches later and she'd still not defeated the bulky Felyne!

As a show of good sportsmanship, she got the gruff Felyne a large tankard of ale and that lead the the revelation of her second hidden forte.

The Huntress could _drink._

There was no question that the people of the New World were a hearty folk that consumed _a lot._

Their work consumed calories like crazy and to make up for it they went big on their meals, downing a vast amount of sustenance every time they sat down to eat, and it went without saying that most of them could put away a fair amount of booze.

What the Huntress imbibed could not be considered a fair amount.

An obscene amount would be a more accurate description.

She was currently going drink for drink against the Admiral and was emptying her third pitcher of ale.

Both combatants had already drank several other hunters under the table though neither showed much sign of their inebriation, flushed faces and a hiccup here and there being the only indicators.

It wasn't until the fifth pitcher was emptied that they called it a draw.

“Impressive!” the Admiral boomed, giving her a firm pat on her shoulder.

She hiccuped, smiled, and hiccuped again.

The Huntress like the Admiral.

They were very similar in many ways and though she never knew her parents she'd come to look up to him almost as a father figure; so she beamed at his approval, even if it was for something as trivial as handling her alcohol well.

Feeling light on her feet and merry from the drinks and commendation, she started swaying to the beat of the drums and instruments being played by a troupe of Felyne musicians.

Other people seemed to have the same idea as the music got louder and more energetic.

“Hey, Pard!”

She caught sight of her Handler, the brunette bouncing over in time to the music. Once she reached her partner they threw their hands up wildly. They shimmied and swung their heads, twirled each other around, and moved to the rhythm.

Previously non witnessed talent number three was dancing.

There was a similarity, the Huntress believed, in hunting and dancing and both felt instinctual to the woman.

Whether she was moving to music or avoiding attacks of her quarry, it was something her body did almost on its own, like muscle memory.

Her hips moved side to side as she raised her hands up to the sky, flipping her obsidian hair with every shake of her head.

The red headed A-Lister and his dark haired handler joined them, along with her Palico and the surprisingly spry Elder Melder; and as they all cavorted like children. 

The master hunter suddenly realized she'd never had so much fun at a celebration before.

While she'd never describe her childhood or life before coming to the New World as unhappy, being in a place surrounded by people just as enthusiastic as her for the work they did was a breath of fresh air. She felt like she truly belonged.

Here she wasn't single minded; here she was like minded.

Not for the first time, she mused on whether or not she'd stay in Astera once the Commission's work was completed, but the thought was brief and fleeting.

Now was not the time to think on those matters, now was the time to dance!

The Mewsicians increased the tempo as more people joined in and the Huntress could feel her bones humming. She moved with abandon, letting herself get lost in the harmony of strings and horns and drums.

Without words, everyone ambulated together, partnering up in spontaneous and transient interactions before diverging.

The Huntress felt a hand on her shoulder, guiding her into a sway. She didn't recognize the hunter, but took his hand and followed his motions as he lead her.

He spun her around, they bobbed and pivoted and parted once again, back into the kinetic crowd.

Partners came and went; people she recognized, people she didn't.

How long had she been dancing for? The obsidian haired hunter had not a clue.

She felt exuberant as she weaved through her reveling colleagues, half dancing, half navigating her way back over to a barrel of mead as there was a lull in the music.

Clearing the throng without incident she honed in on the large wooden keg full of sweet honey wine.

She was not five steps from her goal when her field of vision was suddenly blocked by a large body.

The Huntress huffed, biting her lip and looking up to see who had cut her off.

The cheerful green-grey eyes of the Field Team Leader met hers and he chuckled at her impatient look, realizing his mistake.

“My bad, allow me.” He grabbed two empty tankards and filled them, passing one to her, which she accepted with a grateful smile. They walked over to a vacant bench and sat down, knocking their drinks together in cheers before taking synchronized swigs of the alcoholic beverage.

“It's really something..”

The Huntress turned to the larger male when he spoke and he gestured to the jubilee. “The Commission.” he clarified. “It's funny to think about, but Commission members make up, essentially, the entirety of people I know.”

Thinking on it a moment, she realized he was right.

Save for the Grimalkynes and the scarce First Wyverians, the populace was almost exclusively Commission members. Scholars, hunters, handlers, researchers, but all with one goal.

The dark skinned woman pointed to the Field Team Leader and did a pantomime of a ship sailing away, raising a brow and hand in inquiry.

“My parents went back to the Old World when I was fifteen. They asked if I wanted to return with them, but I declined. I feel like this is where I belong.”

Her next question was obvious from the look she gave him and he nodded. “I miss them all the time, but we correspond through letters. I have a little brother, you know? He's about twelve now.”

Her brows raised. No, she'd not been aware of that.

The Huntress didn't have any blood relatives and had never known the feeling of having a mother, father, or siblings. She'd grown up in the Guild, the closest thing to parents being her instructors. She wondered what it was like, being an ocean away from family. At least he still had his grandfather.

Hanging from a braided cord at her side was a thin, 8 by 6 inch tablet made of blackstone and a leather pouch full of chalk. Grabbing the stone plate and a piece of chalk she scribbled out a few words and turned it towards him.

“I've been told he's planning on being a scholar.” he responded to the written inquiry. “But whether he'll join the guild remains to be seen. I'd like him to visit this place one day though.”

Clearing the slate, she replaced her question with another.

**Would you visit the Old World? **

“Maybe some day. Who's to say what the future holds right?” His smile was bright, bold, infectious.

The Huntress eagerly nodded, returning the wide grin.

The music picked up again and the female hopped back to her feet setting down her empty tankard and offering her hand to the Field Team Leader in invitation to join her.

“Huh? What? Oh! No, I'm not very good at dancing”

She rolled her eyes and re offered her hand insistently, but he continued to hesitate.

Grabbing her tablet again she quickly jotted, **Dancing is good dancing**

“You haven't seen my dancing.” he rebutted.

Her hands went to her hips as she huffed at him. After a moment she started scanning around her.

It took a minute, but she finally caught sight of what she was looking for. Making sure she had the taller hunter's attention she pointed out the familiar form of the Huntsman, sitting and observing the festivities.

The Huntress pointed to the First Fleet hunter then to herself and mimed dancing.

“You think you can convince my master to dance?”

She nodded, then pointed to him and did the same before holding her hand out again, this time awaiting a handshake.

“If you can, then I have to dance with you?”

She nodded again.

“And if he won't dance, I don't have to?” he clarified.

A third nod.

“Deal.”

He took her hand and shook it firmly, positive he knew what the outcome would be despite the assured look of the Huntress.

After all, he'd known the Huntsman his entire life and he'd never seen him dance. Not once.

He sat back and watched her sashay through the crowd towards his mentor confidently. Watching her hips sway with each step.

Maybe he should've just danced with her? He mused briefly appreciating the view until the crowd blocked his sight.

It was hard to tell exactly what was happening from the angle he was seated at. The veteran hunter looked up when the woman approached him.. He could see the Huntress sign a greeting, but the other gestures were hard to make out. He saw her reach for her writing stone and the Huntsman leaned over to read it.

He must've responded with something, the Field Team Leader was sure it'd be a refusal, but no...

“No way..”

He was standing up and_ accepting _the grinning woman's hand.

Talent number 4: Persuasion.

The astonished man was not blind to the subtle smirk she shot his way, before taking a stance indicative of a more traditional style dance. It was one that the Huntsman was apparently familiar with because he took his own stance complementary to hers, standing side by side in opposite directions with their right forearms adjoining in an X.

They moved in a circle, keeping the connection between their arms. The Huntress extended her other arm, fanning her fingers outward. They switched directions and repeated the motions before taking a step away then turning to face each other.

The lithe woman ducked into a half bow with her hand reached toward her partner, palm up. He took it and pulled her from the bow into a spin before releasing her, allowing her to continue her rotation past him until they were back to back.

The Field Team Leader found himself transfixed on the two.

Apparently he wasn't the only one either.

He noticed that as the dance continued, a few people had stopped to watch the couple as well, his grandfather among them. The floored expression on the Commander's face was priceless and well enough evidence that this wasn't a common occurrence.

The dance was was elegant and strange, almost resembling choreographed sparring at times as they matched and weaving around each other.

It looked so natural and effortless; without words, both knew what the other would do and corresponded accordingly.

It was captivating.

It ended similar to how it started, with their right forearms crossed together in a stance of solidarity.

The sudden eruption of cheers attested to number of spectators they'd accumulated.

With the skill expected of such an experienced hunter, the Huntsman promptly departed from the center of the commotion, leaving the Huntress to handle the group curious people that surged forward with questions and acclamation.

Previously so self assured, now the woman was obviously overwhelmed, unable to respond to the barrage of inquiries coming from all sides.

The Field Team Leader debated whether he should help her or not. She couldn't force him to dance in her current predicament, but it was hard not to feel bad for the woman, her mismatched eyes wide and searching for assistance with the clamoring group.

Sighing, he stood up and made his way over.

He reached the onyx haired hunter as she was trying to respond to the multitude of questions being thrown at her, frantically scribbling on her tablet.

She almost dropped the writing tools as he looped an arm around her waist, scooping her up and carrying her through the crowd to 'safety'.

When he set her down, she had the decency to be abashed at being handled like a sack of potatoes, but it didn't last long, quickly replaced with her previous enthusiasm as she held her hand out to him.

“Hey, I just saved you. Can't we call it even?” he bartered.

She crossed her arms stubbornly, but he didn't back down.

They locked eyes in a battle of wills, her black and amber against his stormy grey, neither willing to concede.

Finally relenting, she reluctantly agreed to let him off the hook. The look of relief the muscular hunter gave her made her shoulders shake as she giggled silently.

She didn't think the Field Team Leader was afraid of anything, let alone dancing of all things. The thought was endlessly amusing.

The A-Lister would get a kick out of that, she was sure.

Later that night, as she sat stroking the soft fur of the Palico asleep in her lap, she reflected on her life since arriving in Astera.

Sometimes it didn't seem real. How was it possible to feel more at home here than she did in the place she grew up? Her thought from earlier in the night returned to her and she pondered on staying here after all was said and done.

There would be people she missed for sure, but the ache she'd felt in her heart when she'd boarded the boat so long ago didn't match the ache she felt now, thinking about leaving this land.

She fell asleep and dreamt that Zorah Magdoros asked for her hand in marriage so she jumped into the ocean and sailed away on the back of a giant sushifish.

What that symbolized, she'd not a clue, but it had certainly been an enjoyable celebration and there wasn't a scholar or hunter around that could call her a single skilled specialist after tonight.


End file.
